Election agency turns down petition to disband Bhumjaithai
No evidence of party receiving illegal donations, says EC
The Election Commission (EC) on Friday dismissed a petition seeking the dissolution of the coalition Bhumjaithai Party, citing a lack of evidence that the party had received illegal donations.
The EC on Friday released a document, saying that no evidence was found to confirm that Bhumjaithai had intentionally received donations from illegal sources.
“There is no evidence to suggest that Bhumjaithai received donations while knowing the donations were illegal or suspected to be from illegal sources,” the EC said in a press release.
The ruling coalition partner, headed by Deputy PM and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, was accused of unlawfully receiving money from a company allegedly owned by nominees of its former secretary-general Saksayam Chidchob.
On January 17, the Constitutional Court found that Saksayam, who had also sEerved as a transport minister during the last administration, had concealed his shares and ownership of Burijarearn Construction Limited Partnership in Buri Ram province.
Avoiding the laws which disallow a Cabinet member to hold such a stake in a commercial firm, Burijarearn Construction also won many government construction projects.
Saksayam’s ministerial status was terminated as a result.
EC secretary-general Sawang Boonmee said on Friday that the decision has been made after looking into petitions, filed at different times, by parlour tycoon-turned-politician Chuwit Kamolvisit as well as three prolific petitioners: Phattarapong Supakson, Srisuwan Janya, and Theerayut Suwankesorn.
Sawang explained that the petition also claimed Burijarearn Construction and Silachai Buriram (1991) are two illegal sources of money for Bhumjaithai. The latter found Saksayam to be involved.
He said that the requests cited Section 62 of the organic law on political parties which prohibits illegal sources of money for political parties and invoked Article 92 to seek its dissolution.
